There usually isn’t much excitement in the sleepy little town of Magnolia, N.C. The town’s population has never exceeded one thousand and the closest attraction is The World’s Largest Frying Pan located a few miles down the road in Rose Hill. On an otherwise quiet day in April of 1953 on a local sharecropper’s farm, the future Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World was being born to Bertha and Jessie Smith. The lessons learned and values instilled on that farm in the tiny town would help mold the man, father, husband and humanitarian that the world knows today as James “Bonecrusher” Smith.

For a sharecropper, there is no “off-season." If it’s not harvesting the crops, then it’s planting or tilling the land getting ready for next year’s harvest. Not to mention the feeding, caring and butchering of the livestock. James was the third of eight children and just like everyone else, he had specific jobs. After harvesting the vegetables, they would all clean them and get them ready for their dad to sell the following day. This instilled a work ethic and appreciation for family that James uses for motivational speeches to this day. One of his primary jobs on the farm was to chop the firewood. The family relied on the wood for heat and James was determined to not let them down. “The axe taught me some tough lessons. It was very hard work and I went to bed with sore muscles, but everyone was counting on me to keep the house warm.” says James. Little did he know at the time that the muscles being created by his daily chores would one day earn him the nickname “Bonecrusher.”

Fast-forward to high school and James had learned many valuable lessons in life, none would serve him better than the lesson to make good decisions. This would later become the title to his book: M.A.D. Make A Decision. He had learned the value of education and enrolled in Shaw University where he made the decision to play football his senior year after having been a stand-out basketball player throughout his school years. After graduating from Shaw University, he made the decision to join the U.S. Army and pursue boxing.

After winning the U.S. Army base championship and touring Germany, he decided to make it his full-time career. His pro career started out well, but was not without some hiccups. “Anybody can lose at the beginning of a new venture, but that does not mean you are a failure.,” stresses Smith. It was the first week of December 1986 and he received a call from promoter Don King with an offer to fight champion Tim Witherspoon for the World Boxing Association Heavyweight title in Madison Square Garden. Witherspoon had beaten him just a year earlier in a 12-round decision. When asked for the date of the fight, King replied “One week from today.” He made the decision to take the fight and stayed focused on one objective. James showed why he had the nickname “Bonecrusher” and knocked out Witherspoon in the first round. He proudly stood in the ring as not only the first heavyweight fighter to win the title in Madison Square Garden, but also the first World Heavyweight Champion to have a college degree.

Today, James and his wife, Doreen, reside on the Grand Strand and promote good decisions in life, health and business for everyone. Even though James has an excellent motivational message for all ages, none are more important or dear to his heart than kids. That is why he founded Champion for Kids and works with local schools to mentor kids for making good decisions. He is also the founder of The Boxing Legends Hall of Fame based in Myrtle Beach.

If you would like information on his speaking availability, contact: 
James “Bonecrusher” Smith, 
(910) 658-3408, Championforkids.org